Why are Wellingtonians in such a black mood?

HAVING recently moved from Nelson to Wellington, I’m overwhelmed by the crowds in their corporate black garb. It’s so dreary.

The grey buildings, the grey days, and the dark throng that streams out of the railway station and surges through the streets: it feels like Eastern Europe in the 1970s.

Is everybody’s wardrobe full of variations on the black theme? Is there any colour in there? Do people just choose one black item after another, all week? Do Wellingtonians have any changes of clothes? Who could tell?

I notice the winter coats in the shops offered a choice of red or winter white, as well as the ubiquitous black. But there is only the merest smattering of these colours to be seen on the streets. And an even smaller proportion of other colours that were fashionable in previous years. I reckon there must be about 50 black coats sold to every one colour.

Ok, it’s obviously taken in summer, and there is a lot of colour from the surroundings, but the people are dressed in a range of hues and it looks so inviting.

There are such a variety of vivid and vibrant possibilities. You could dress in red, pink, purple, blue, green, yellow, orange. Stripes, dots, checks. Go on, you can do it. Break out – you might cheer yourself up. You’ll certainly cheer me up.

I totally agree with Anne Cornish
All these blackdressed people : It is a horrible site. I often think: Is here a funeral goin on?
Even now in winter, in Nelson in the business area they appear and I got the same image and feelings when I visited Poland in the 70tish. By then poland was the poorest country of Europe and so depressing looking!
Colorful greetings from a colorful Nelsonian, Franceska Francina